The mysterious death of a youth in South Kashmir’s Islamabad district sparked tension on Tuesday. People in large numbers resorted to stone throwing when the body of the youth was taken to his native place Monghal Islamabad. Eyewitness said that the police allegedly beat people and the para-medical staff in the district hospital who went for a strike against the police excesses.

People in Monghal alleged that the police had arrested four youth from the area, identified as Mashooq Ahmed Magray, Bilal Ahmed Dar, Tariq Ahmed Sofi and Imran Majid. However, the police denied that they had arrested Bilal Ahmed Dar. Eyewitnesses said that the body of Bilal Ahmed Dar was found on railway track in the district. As the news of the presence of his body spread in the district people assembled in large numbers and raised anti-police and anti-government slogans.

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The body of Bilal Ahmed Dar was taken to the district hospital for postmortem. Eyewitnesses told a news agency that after the postmortem when the dead body of Bilal was taken to his native village, people at Janglat Mandi threw stones on police and CRPF personnel deployed on roads. Youth resorted to heavy stone throwing while the police charged on youth with canes and dispersed them. Despite heavy teargas shelling the youth continued to throw stones on police.

A local reporter of CNS (a news gathering agency) from the area said that Police beat protestors to pulp and entered into the houses and charged men and women with bamboo sticks. “I was covering the event but the policemen snatched my camera and beat me ruthlessly. When I complained to DIG, South Kashmir, he simply said that he will look into the matter,” Muneeb-ul-Islam said.

According to eyewitnesses, soon after the stone throwing police entered into the hospital and beat the staff there. “I am a doctor. I am surprised why policemen beat me? What was my fault? Is there any Rule of Law prevailing here or not?” a doctor said, adding that the policemen beat para-medical staff blue and black.

The staff from the hospital came out into open and raised anti-police slogans. “Staff has decided to go far a strike against the police excesses and we will not return to the job till assurance of protection is not given to us,” a staffer said.

Inspector General of Police Adul Gani Mir said that the railway police during wee hours informed about the presence of a dead body near railway track. “Police acted accordingly and post-mortem was done. Traces of liquor were found in his body,” Mir said.

Station House Officer, Anantnag, Ashfaq Aalam refuted the allegations leveled by people that Bilal Ahmed Dar was in police custody. “People can say anything as they don’t know reality. I tell you with authority that he was not arrested by police while his dead body was found on Railway Track and there were no torture marks on his body,” SHO said, adding that the police did not beat the CNS reporter and neither snatched his camera.

Meanwhile a case under section 174 CrPc has been registered by police in this regard. A police handout reads that police recovered a dead body of one Bilal Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Samad Dar resident of Munghal near Railway track Munghal, Anantnag today. “Police has taken cognizance and started inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC in the incident. Postmortem has been conducted on the body and handed over to his legal heirs. According to the preliminary investigation, no mark of violence has been found on his body,” the handout said.

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